By SUZANNE DOWNING
June 9, 2026 – The National Republican Senatorial Committee has filed a formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission, alleging that Petersburg resident Daniel J. Sullivan and Anchorage political consultant Amber Lee engaged in a coordinated effort to deceive Alaska voters by creating a U.S. Senate campaign designed to resemble that of incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan.
The complaint, filed June 9 with the FEC, asks federal regulators to investigate whether Daniel J. Sullivan (Decoy Dan) and Lee violated federal law prohibiting fraudulent misrepresentation of campaign authority.
The filing marks the second major action taken by national Republicans over the controversy surrounding Daniel Sullivan’s candidacy. Last week, the NRSC sent a letter to Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and the Alaska Division of Elections urging state officials to remove Sullivan from the ballot.
The latest complaint comes one day after Dahlstrom announced a formal state investigation into whether Daniel Sullivan’s candidacy was filed in good faith and whether his appearance on the ballot could create voter confusion in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race.
According to the FEC complaint, Decoy Dan launched a Senate campaign using a logo, color scheme, typography and branding that closely resemble those of Sen. Dan Sullivan’s official campaign. The filing includes side-by-side comparisons of the two campaigns’ logos and websites, arguing that the similarities were intended to mislead voters.
The complaint also points to the press release announcing Daniel Sullivan’s candidacy, which listed Amber Lee Strategies as the media contact. Metadata attached to the release identified Amber Lee as the document’s author, according to the filing. The NRSC alleges that Lee, a Democratic political consultant, helped orchestrate the campaign’s launch.
Daniel Sullivan, who recently changed his voter registration from Democrat to Republican before filing for office, has donated to Democratic candidates and organizations over the years, according to contribution records included as attachments to the complaint. Among the donations cited are contributions to Mary Peltola’s campaigns and several Democratic political committees.
The NRSC argues that the campaign was designed to exploit voter confusion by placing another “Dan Sullivan” on the ballot against the incumbent Republican senator.
“The fraudulent misrepresentation of campaign authority statute was written precisely to prevent situations such as the one occurring in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race,” the complaint states.
The filing asks the FEC to investigate the matter, determine whether federal election laws were violated, impose appropriate penalties if violations are found, and refer the matter to the U.S. Department of Justice if warranted.
“The Commission should find reason to believe that Daniel J. Sullivan and Amber Lee knowingly and willfully violated 52 U.S.C. §30124 and conduct an immediate investigation. Furthermore, the Commission should sanction to the fullest extent of the law all violations that it finds, should enjoin Respondents from engaging in this conduct in the future, and should impose such additional remedies as are necessary and appropriate to ensure compliance with the Federal Election Campaign Act. Finally, should the Commission determine that the conduct at issue in this matter was knowing and willful, it should exercise its authority under 52 U.S.C. §30109(a)(5)(C) to refer this matter to the U.S. Department of Justice for further review.”
The controversy has drawn criticism from across Alaska’s political spectrum.
Scott Kendall, an attorney known for helping craft Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system, previously described the candidacy as “pathetic” and said it represented “politics at its worst — purposefully trying to confuse voters into wasting their ballot.” That quote was noted by the NRSC in its complaint.
The NRSC has also connected the candidacy to former congresswoman Mary Peltola. National Republicans note that Peltola visited Petersburg, Daniel Sullivan’s hometown, shortly before he announced his campaign and point to consulting work performed by Amber Lee’s firm for political organizations that supported Peltola. Neither the FEC complaint nor the state investigation announced by Dahlstrom alleges that Peltola herself violated any election laws.
The Alaska Division of Elections investigation remains ongoing. Under Alaska election law, candidates have until June 27 to withdraw from races before ballots are finalized for the Aug. 18 primary election.
The FEC has not announced whether it will open a formal investigation into the complaint.
Complaint against Decoy Dan
Same-name candidate controversies emerge in Alaska and Washington, raising voter confusion concerns
Name game: Petersburg Democrat named Dan Sullivan launches trick on voters with Senate campaign
Suzanne Downing: The Petersburg Poser and the Democrat Party politics of the ‘existential threat’
11 thoughts on “NRSC files FEC complaint over Decoy Dan’s candidacy, alleges coordinated effort to mislead Alaska voters”
do you have any proof that he changed his registration from Democrat to Republican? When I first checked he was listed as undeclared. In an interview “The challenger said he was registered with the limited government-leaning Alaskan Independence Party for decades, until the party’s dissolution late last year. Election officials had said voters registered with the party could change their affiliation but if they did not, they’d be shown as “undeclared.” Sullivan said he then was listed as undeclared until filing to run for office, when he registered as Republican.” I have no idea if that is true. Maybe someone from the AIP could comment.
Sullivan has 6 million of outside money to educate voters on his middle initial. The decoy will be lucky to put out a mailer. Murkowski won her independent spelling bee campaign spending less than that. Seriously if the incumbent cannot beat this guy with a simple campaign message maybe he shouldn’t be a senator.
“………do you have any proof that he changed his registration from Democrat to Republican? When I first checked he was listed as undeclared……….”
Changing his registration from ANYTHING to Republican supports the accusation that he’d doing this to deceive voters.
Alaska Republican members and leadership need to recognize AKDemorats members, neighbors, and its leaders were Never your friend.
AKDemoctats can take things aggressive and bold even use gray area legal questionable tactics Because of for too long (Decades!) AkGOP members and leaders thought the way to move Alaska forward was to be more Bipartisan or to adopt the Ted Stevens phrase “just do what is best for Alaska.”
All awhile AKDemocrats were doing what was best for their Democratic Party and a Democrat form of government.
Just like Republican GOP leaders and its members of other States who are dominating their local government. They are aggressively acting out in the same as AKDemocrats are doing to secure total control over their own states.
It’s best that Christians don’t try to mix their faith with their preferred political party. Because Republican and Democrat are two different government forms of governance style. Neither are Christian and if there are Christians working inside one group they’ll meet party leaders and operatives who work for what is best for the team Win and not for God.
Senator Dan Sullivan has not helped me one bit with my VA concerns and Mary Peltola is generally lazy. If I want to vote for Dan Sullivan of Petersburg, then I should be able to do so. That is what a free election is all about, right?
“………Senator Dan Sullivan has not helped me one bit with my VA concerns and Mary Peltola is generally lazy. If I want to vote for Dan Sullivan of Petersburg, then I should be able to do so……….”
Of course, Genius, but you’d better be really careful that you don’t vote for the wrong Sullivan. It works both ways with low intelligence voters.
Another 10:00am drunk in Petersburg.
Senator Dan Sullivan has done nothing for me as a service-disabled veteran. And I think Mary Peltola is lazy. So, if I want to vote for Dan Sullivan of Petersburg, what is wrong with that? With him in this race and my vote for one of the options listed on the ballot, isn’t this an example of fear and fair elections?
Note to Suzanne: Please do not delete this comment. This is my second attempt to publish it here.
Both of your comments are posted. Clear your cache. Refresh your browser.
Note that Senator Dan Sullivan has done you a great service by keeping the feds out of your business. You ought to appreciate that. Here’s why;
CS Lewis quote from The Humanitarian Theory of Punishment (1987):
“Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth.”
Republicans will leave you alone. Democrats won’t. Cheers –
“………Senator Dan Sullivan has not helped me one bit with my VA concerns and Mary Peltola is generally lazy. If I want to vote for Dan Sullivan of Petersburg, then I should be able to do so……….”
Of course, Genius, but you’d better be really careful that you don’t vote for the wrong Sullivan. It works both ways with low intelligence voters.
Note to Suzanne: Please do not delete this comment. This is my second reply to Gary, and I think it’s more than appropriate for him too read twice.
This move is a clear admission that Petola can’t win unless enough voters are deceived. The real Dan Sullivan should thank Petola for the admission at every opportunity.
I just came back from Petersburg. Spoke with many residents. Decoy Dan is well known on the Island as a Democrat. Decoy Dan has run for local political office, but always came up short.
Residents of Petersburg are furious over the Dan-gate affair. It is apparent to all in Petersburg the fraud that is being attempted. Hope it is worth it Decoy Dan because you have Pissed off the entire Community. Trust me DD the good people of Petersburg have a great memory and a long memory.